Combined chair and ladder



Nov. 10, 1931 H. A. SHAMBALJGH COMBINED CHAIR AND LADDER File 5. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 10, 1931; H. A. SHAMBAUGH 1,831,143

COMBINED CHAIR AND LADDER Filed 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I! 7 I v I Patented Nov. 10, 1931 UNITED STAT-E's PATENT orr lca HOWARD fA. SHAMBAU'GH, on MIAM -rnomnA 1 COMBINED GHAIRAAHD LADDER I Application filed November 5, 1930. 7 Serial No. 493,623.

a 75 section, of the device arranged as a step ladder. I V

Fig. 3 is an enlarged'detail section taken longitudinally through one of the side supports and'showing more particularly a lock- 19 ing means which is employed,

Fig; 4 is an enlarged plan view of the strike plate which forms a part of the locking means, Fig. 5 isa detail view of a corner fastening, and v h Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing modifications or additional attachments.

In carrying out the invention, 'I employ a V chair which includes a seat '1 and legs 2 of any usual or approved construction, the legs being thoroughlybraced, as indicated at 3, and the back cross bar 4; being of greater dimensions than ordinarily is the case in order to be utilized as the lowest step ofth'e ladder. The rear legs are extended slightly above the seat, as shown at 5, and to the upper projecting ends of the legs are'pivoted the'low'er" ends of side arms 6 oi'the chair back, the said arms being connected intermediate their ends by a crossbar 7 which is concave on its front surface "so thatit willfit "comfortably against the back of a sitter. Pivo'tally connected to the upper extremities of theside shown in Figure 2, and constitute thetop step arms 6 is a step 8 whiclnwhen thedevice'is of the ladder. The crossbar? also carries a i ste 9' which is ordinarily disposed at its'rear s1c e and is rigidly securedthereto, being disposed at the rear of the back when the; device 1s arranged as a chair,*as shown clearly in Fig. 6, and being disposed horizontally above the chair seat and approximately midway between the sealttandstep 8 when the device is arrangedas a ladder-{as shdWnfinfFigfQ. The step 8 is not pivoted'directly to the' upper ends ofthe side arms 6but is connected therewith through'the intermediary ofbrack ets' 10 which are disposed at the opposite ends of the step and pivotall y connectedwith;tl'ie respective arms. As shown most clearlyin Fig. 5, each bracket comprisesa substantially U-s'haped portion which spans the end edge of the step and is riveted tr otherwise-secured thereto an'd'at its upper extremity provided with aforwardly projecting lug or ear 11 which lies against the outer side of the arm 6 at the upper-extremity of thesa'me and is pivotally secured thereto throughfa pivot bolt or pin 12. Theend ofthezarmis also made convex, asshown at 13', whereby it will permit a free swinging movement ofthe step without any interference from the arm.

In order to further support the top "step 8 in the ladder and to brace the rest of thechair, I provide pivoted bracing arms lt which are pivoted attheir l'owere'nds to the side edges of the chair seat or tothe braces immediately under the seat at'points'approx-i imately midway between the front and the back of-the chair. These bracingarms are pivoted at their upper ends to the rear 'cor- 1 ners of the step 8, its-shown at 115, and normallyextend upwardly and rearwardly to support the back, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. When the article is to be employed as a step ladder, the back is swung forward to the position shown in Fig. 2 and the pivotal connection between the bracing-arms andtlie top step 8 will: eause-th earms to swing-forwardly and atthe same time turn the step intothe horizontal position shown in- Fig; 2','therear edge ofthe step being f i rmly' supported these'bracing arms, and it will be noted u p'on reference to Fig. 2 that said arms eXt'endapproximately perpendicularly from the chair seat to the step.

In the upper edge of each side arm at the upper end thereof and at a point between the upper end and the central point of the arm are recesses 16 and secured in the arm over each recess is a strike plate 17 having a longitudinal slot 18 therein which alines with the recess 16 in the arm. Disposed under the upper end of the strike plate is the end of a spring plate 19 which extendsover the recess to a point near the lower end of the same and of the slot. Secured to the outer side of the adjacent side arm 6 of the chair back is a bracket 20 which has a web projecting outwardly over the supporting arm 14 and through this web is inserted a stud or locking pin 21 which is fixed in the web and'is adapted to enter the slot 18 and the recess '16 to be engaged by the lower end of the spring retainer plate 19. Slidablv mounted in the web 22 at opposite sides of the stud 21 are push pins 23 provided at their upper endswith buttons or finger-holds 24: and normally held yieldably in their outer positions by springs 25 disposed aroundthe pins between the web 22, and the heads 24;, as will be understood upon reference to Fig. 3. The inner or lower ends of these pins are provided with small heads 26 which normally are seated within the web 22 but may be pushed therefrom to bear against the retainer spring 19 and de-. press the same but of engagement with the locking stud 21. It will now be understood that, when the article is arranged for use as a chair, the studs 21 will engage the retainer springs or keepers 19 at the upper ends of the supporting arms 14 and will thereby maintain the chair back inthe position in which it is set. When the device .is to be arranged for use as a ladder, the lower push pin is pressedinwardly or downwardly so as to disengage the keeper from the locking stud, whereupon the chair back may be swung forwardly into the position shown in Fig. 2 and the locking stud will automatically ride into engagement with the lower keeper or retaining spring. It will be noted that the brackets 20 are duplicates so that they may be used at either side of the chair structure without requiring any identification marks or special construction and as the push buttons or pins are provided in duplicate it makes no difference which end of the bracket is uppermost so that the parts may be assembledvery rapidly. It will also be noted upon reference to 3 that, if the spring 19 should be broken, the removal of the upper securing screw will loosen the upper end of the strike plate and the spring may then be easily withdrawn without requiring the entire strike plate to be removed and the brackets to be readjusted.

InFig. 6,1 have shown side arms 27 which may be attached at their rear ends to the supporting arms 14; and supported at their forward free ends by props 28 disposed between the supporting arms 14 and extended forwardly and rested upon the side arms 27 so that the-article may be utilized as a childs chair, the tray being used to support toys or food in a well known manner.

It will be seen from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, that I have provided an exceedingly simple and useful articleof furniture which may be employed in various capacities around ahouse. When arranged as a chair, the article will prove as comfortable and as durable as kitchen chairs of the usual construction and it has the additional advantage that it may be very quickly converted into a step ladder. When arranged for use as a step ladder, the lowest rear brace 4 will be utilized as the bottom step and the back portion of the chair seat will be utilized as the second step while the third step is pro vided by the step 9 secured to the crossbar 7 and the top step and support is, of course, the element 8.

The device may be so easily manipulated that it may be arranged as a ladder while the user is standing on the chair seat and it is not necessary for him to step to the floor.

Having thus described, the invention, I claim: 7 v

1. A combined chair andladder comprising a chair seat structure, a back pivotally secured at the rear corners of said structure, a step pivoted at one edge to the upper end of the back, supporting arms pivoted to the seat structure and to the rear edge of said step, and means for locking the supporting arms in a set position.

2. In a combined chair and ladder, a chair seat structure, side arms pivotally connected to the rear corners of the seat structure, supporting arms pivotally connected to the seat structure intermediate the front and rear sides of the same, a step carried by the side arms between the ends thereof, and 'a step piv-- otally connected to the upper extremities of the side arms-and to the upper extremities of the supporting arms whereby when said'arms are swung rearwardlythe step will be disposed at the rear of the side arms and when the arms are swung forwardlv the step will be disposed in a horizontal position and supported projecting upper ends of said legs, supporting arms pivoted to the seat structure at points in advance of said legs, a step element, and brackets secured to the ends of said step element and provided at their front ends with forwardly projecting ears pivoted to the upper extremities of the side arms and having their rear ends pivoted to the upper ends of the supporting arms.

4. In a combined chair and ladder, a seat 1 structure, a back pivotally connected to the seat structure at the rear corners thereof and including side arms, a step member pivoted to the upper ends of the side arms, supporting arms pivoted to the seat structure in ad- Vance of the rear edge thereof having their upper ends pivoted to the rear end of said step element, keepers on the supporting arms at and below the upper ends thereof, and locking elements mounted on the side arms of the back and engageable with said keepers.

5. In a combined'chair and ladder, a seat structure, a back pivoted to the seat structure, supporting arms pivoted to the seat structure in advance of the back, a step element pivoted to the upper end of the back and to the upper ends of said supporting arms, brackets secured on the back and having portions projecting over the supporting arms, keepers on the supporting arms, locking studs mounted in said brackets and arranged to engage said keepers, and push pins mounted in the brackets to release the keepers from said locking studs.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HOWARD A. SHAMBAUGH. [1 s.] 

